How to Optimize Shopify’s URL Structure for Better SEO: Can You Remove /products/ and /collections/?

If you're serious about improving your Shopify store’s visibility on search engines like Google, you know that every little detail counts, including the structure of your URLs. One common question many store owners ask is: Can I remove the default /products/ and /collections/ from my Shopify URLs for better SEO? Unfortunately, Shopify doesn’t offer this option natively, but there are workarounds and best practices that can still help you improve your store’s search engine ranking. In this blog, we’ll walk you through what you need to know about Shopify’s URL structure and how you can still make SEO improvements.

The SEO Impact of Shopify’s Default URL Structure

Shopify’s default URL structure includes /products/ and /collections/ in all product and collection URLs. For example:

• Product URL: www.yourstore.com/products/blue-sunglasses
  
  

• Collection URL: www.yourstore.com/collections/sunglasses
  
  

From an SEO perspective, shorter, cleaner URLs are often favored by search engines, as they are easier to crawl and more user-friendly. Clean URLs (like www.yourstore.com/blue-sunglasses) look more professional and may offer a slight SEO boost.

However, Shopify’s default URL structure is fixed. You can’t remove /products/ or /collections/ unless you use workarounds or custom coding, which can be risky for non-technical users.

Why Shopify Doesn’t Allow URL Customization

Shopify’s decision to keep /products/ and /collections/ in the URL structure is intentional. Shopify is designed for ease of use, especially for non-technical users. Removing or altering the default slugs could create complications with internal linking, indexing, and site maintenance. Additionally, Shopify relies on these slugs to organize the site’s backend, making it easier for store owners to manage products and collections.

In short, Shopify’s default structure is designed to prioritize usability over granular SEO control, making it tough for users to customize URLs.

Workarounds for Improving URL Structure

Even though Shopify doesn’t allow removing /products/ or /collections/ from URLs, there are still ways to improve the SEO-friendliness of your URLs:

1. Optimize the Product and Collection Names
   While you can’t remove /products/, you can ensure the product or collection name includes relevant keywords. For example:
   
   

   • Instead of www.yourstore.com/products/blue-sunglasses, use www.yourstore.com/products/blue-sunglasses-fashion-eyewear
     
     

2. This allows you to make your URL more descriptive and keyword-rich, which can improve your ranking for specific search terms.
   
   

3. 301 Redirects
   If you’re migrating from another platform or changing product URLs, use 301 redirects to ensure search engines and visitors are redirected to the correct page. This avoids broken links and ensures that SEO juice is passed along to your new URLs.
   
   Shopify has built-in 301 redirects that allow you to easily map old URLs to new ones.
   
   

4. Focus on Meta Titles and Descriptions
   Since you can’t change the URL structure, optimizing your meta titles and meta descriptions becomes even more critical. Shopify allows you to customize the meta title and description for each product and collection, so make sure to include target keywords and create compelling descriptions that will encourage clicks from search results.
   
   

5. Use Clean URL Paths for Subfolders and Categories
   Shopify allows you to create clean, descriptive paths for product variants and subcategories. For example, instead of having a messy URL structure like /products/category/variant, you can structure your URLs with clear and concise product categories and names.
   
   

Focus on Other SEO Best Practices

Even if you can’t adjust the URL structure, Shopify offers plenty of opportunities for on-page SEO improvements that can help you rank higher:

• Optimize Meta Tags: Customize meta titles, descriptions, and URL handles for all products and collections.
  
  

• Image Alt Text: Add alt text to all product images. Search engines can’t “see” images, so including relevant keywords in the alt text will help with SEO.
  
  

• Internal Linking: Create internal links that direct visitors to relevant products or collections, which helps distribute SEO value across your website.
  
  

Leveraging Shopify’s Built-In SEO Tools

Shopify automatically generates sitemaps for your store and submits them to search engines. This means you don’t have to worry about manually submitting your website to Google. Shopify also automatically adds canonical tags to pages with similar content, preventing duplicate content issues.

If you're using Shopify Plus, you can access additional features like custom redirects and more advanced SEO tools.

Conclusion

While Shopify doesn’t allow the removal of /products/ and /collections/ from its URL structure, there are still plenty of ways you can optimize your store’s SEO. By focusing on clean URL paths, optimizing meta data, and using Shopify’s built-in SEO tools, you can still achieve great SEO results without changing the default structure. Keep implementing best practices, and you’ll see your store rise through the ranks of search engines.

If you're still running into issues with your Shopify setup or just need some expert help to get things running smoothly, it's worth considering getting some assistance from experienced Shopify developers. Sometimes, a fresh pair of eyes can really help identify what's causing the problem and optimize everything from your shipping settings to overall site functionality. Many businesses, including Windborne Solutions, have helped clients build, fix, and fine-tune their Shopify stores, so if you’re ever feeling stuck, there are always people out there who can make things a lot easier. You can check out the amazing projects done by Windborne solutions here.